


The Princes of the Universe

by Maxil_Gal



Category: None - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-28 23:36:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16732800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maxil_Gal/pseuds/Maxil_Gal
Summary: Charlie is taken to the Otherworld, home of the Fae. There she must deal with the great Fairy King and fight to return home.





	1. Into the Otherworld

I went walking in the woods again, despite my mother telling me not to. I didn’t really care if she didn’t want me traversing the old forest beside our country village. I liked that no one else went there. I could haunt it as I wished, and I never got lost.  
Before my grandfather died, he gave me his compass. It had apparently kept him safe in the war, and with it I could easily find my way back to the road. It was the only thing he gave me when he died, along with the same caution my mother scolded me. Be careful in those woods there, Charlie. There are fae in there.  
It was the middle of fall, almost Hallow’s Eve. Even I couldn’t deny the spooky atmosphere the forest held this time of year. My attention was quickly turned from the atmosphere to the sight of a calico cat staring directly at me.  
“Hello there. I assume you’re here to kidnap me to the Otherwold?” It gave a friendly mew and rubbed against my legs. “Hmm? Oh of course! You must be the Fairy King’s fearsome guard. I hope your fight against the Mouse Army fares well, brave knight.” I softly petted its exposed stomach as it rolled in the small patch of sunlight. Suddenly and without warning, its ears pricked and it leapt towards an overgrown path. It stopped only to meow at me, continue a few feet, then turn and meow at me again. I followed, puzzled. I knew it was against my best judgement to follow a strange cat down a strange path in such a magical forest at such a magical time of year, but I simply rubbed the compass in my pocket and felt confident enough to follow.  
Sticks caught at my hair as the foliage closed around my guide and I. They, however, seemed unaffected, and only stopped when we had reached our supposed destination. It was a small cellar like structure, stone walls and steps descending downwards into a dark abyss. The cat meowed at me again.  
“Do you have your kittens down there?” The cat only stared and meowed at me again, and moved within a ring of mushrooms encompassing the entrance. I disregarded the circle and peered closer into the structure. The cat pushed past me, and I was curiously drawn down with it. I only looked back once at the light of the outside before continuing down the steps.  
It only took a few footfalls to suddenly feel nothing under me at all. I tripped forward into the void, and fell with a crunch on a pile of leaves. However, when I opened my eyes, I wasn’t met with more darkness, but rather a bright, sunny, extravagant garden. It was still fall, and the walkways were covered in multicolored leaves. I sat up on my knees and observed the finely pruned hedges and bubbling fountains decorated with pictures of frolicking figures. A soft presence rubbed against my leg and I turned to a new, longhaired cat sitting beside me.  
“What is this place?”  
“The Fairy Court.” My head snapped up, looking frantically for my answerer. “I don’t know why Delilah brought you here but you should leave before the Fairy King finds you.” I turned towards the voice, but all I saw was the cat. Then, it dawned on me and I screamed, scrambling backwards. “Oh for gods sake! Mortals, so pathetic.” She stretched and idly began cleaning her fur. “If you keep making such a ruckus, you’ll be found in no time.”  
“So...the other cat...they really were from the Otherworld?”  
“Yes. Delilah is one of the King’s royal guard, along with yours truely of course. We guard the entrances to the Fairy Court. Why she kidnapped you is beyond me…”  
My brain began to shift into fantastical thinking needed for the Otherworld.  
“How do I get out of here?”  
“The same way you came in.” Her tail pointed towards the tree you seemingly fell out of. It was twisted and gnarled by age and had a me-sized hollow leading into a familiar abyss. “Follow it and you’ll return to the Overworld.” I nodded, and felt for my compass. It wasn’t there. “Oh, that do-dad you had? Delilah stole it. Probably what she wanted all along.”  
“I need that compass! I can’t go back without it.” If cats could roll their eyes, this one did. “Please, where can I find Delilah?”  
“You’re not actually serious are you? If the Fairy King finds you, you’ll be doomed.” I bit my lip and looked around, futilely looking for the calico cat. “Fine...if this stupid compass means that much too you, go and look. Just don’t come to me when the Fairy King’s got you.” With a bolt, the longhair ran off.  
“Hey! Wait!” I chased it, winding through the hedges of the garden, following the tip of her fluffy tail until finally coming upon the Fairy Court itself. It was a magnificent palace, gilded and shining, almost unreal. It reminded you of Versaille, or Neuschwanstein. It was something out of a story book. In my enamoring of the Court, I managed to lose the long hair cat. I was really lost now. “Ah..shit.”  
“Are you really a mortal?” I turned and saw a small kitten sitting with its tail curled around its paws. “My name’s Miko. I’ve never met a mortal before.” I knelt down and took in the tiny creature.  
“Do you know where Delilah is? She took something very important from me.” Miko gasped and jumped to his feet.  
“So Tiffany wasn’t lying! The Navigator is here.”  
“I never said they were the Navigator, Miko! And thank you for shouting my name all over the Otherworld.” The long hair jumped down from a railing and bopped the kitten on the head. “Come on. Before I rat you out to the Fairy King.”  
“Wait, whats the Navigator?”  
“The Navigator is going to save the Fairy King, and the Princes of the Universe, and all of the Otherworld!” I tried not to show that I didn’t understand every other word Miko said to me. I nodded slowly.  
“I have no idea what any of that is. Otherworld, yes. Fairy King, basic idea. Princes of the Universe? Never heard of ‘em.”  
“It’s just a stupid mortal, Miko. A mortal that should leave if they know what is best for them.” Tiffany gave me an evil look, and if it weren’t for the fact that she was a fae creature I would’ve thought it was adorable. The cats’ ears suddenly perked. Miko bit onto my pant leg and pulled me towards the hedge.  
“Come on! They’re coming!” I followed him and ducked behind a shrubbery just in time as a group of finely dressed figures came down the stairs leading to the palace. I watched their feet pass by quickly towards where I had come from. “If you really are the Navigator, we have to find your totem or else the Fairy King will never believe you.”  
“Ok...ok so we’re a team right, Miko?”  
“Mhmm! Tiffany too!”  
“No I’m not.”  
“Ok just me and you then.” I smiled and picked the kitten up, much to Tiffany’s disgust.  
“Letting a mortal carry you, Miko. Honestly don’t you have any sense of shame?” She trotted alongside us, Miko seated happily in the crook of my arm as we carefully navigated through the maze of bushes. “You can sneak in through the kitchens. Don’t eat anything. It’s fairy food. It’ll kill a mortal like you.” I nodded and we emerged from the garden. Tiffany lead me through the kitchen, which smelled amazing but I resisted from tasting it. Eventually we climbed a set of stairs, hid from a few more guards, and entered a large room. In the middle was a lavish throne and stairs leading to other rooms and viewing balconies. It was also completely deserted. Miko whispered to me excitedly.  
“This is the Fairy King’s Court. He holds really, really big parties.” Tiffany ignored all the splendor and ran up the velveted stairs.  
“Come on!” I quickened my pace to match her gate. Finally, she slowed and pushed open a door. I gasped at the room it revealed. “Don’t touch anything that isn’t yours. It might be enchanted.” It was lavishly decorated, gilded and shining with jewels and silk and fine wooden furniture. It was also filled with...stuff. You could only describe it as a magpie’s nest. Everything from buttons to faberge eggs, old coins to jewelry.  
“How am I going to find my compass in all of this?”  
“Well, lucky for you, you have two masters to aid you.” Tiffany began swerving through the piles, occasionally pawing at something, but continuing on. “Oh where did you hide it Delilah? Curse your hiding skills.” I followed on tiptoes, trying not to disturb anything. Tiffany’s ears pricked and she suddenly dove into one pile, and returned with my compass.  
“Thank gods! Thank you Tiffany, thank you Miko.” She dropped it at my feet and I picked it up, but suddenly felt queasy. I stumbled towards the bed frame, trying to find something to steady myself on. “What’s happening to me?”  
“Curses! Delilah must have put a hex on it.” Tiffany appeared next to me as I fell onto the bed. “No, no no no! Come on, mortal! Get up!”  
“Tiffany! Someone’s coming!” All I could hear was their panicked little feet scurrying away. I couldn’t move, could barely think. My eyes were half opened and closing quickly. The last thing I remembered was a strange hand on my shoulder, and another softly touching my face. And then I drifted into unconsciousness.


	2. An Audience with the Fairy King

I couldn’t tell how long I slept, but it felt long and dreamless. It reminded me of how bears must feel in the dead of winter, slumbering with no thoughts of waking. But eventually I did open my eyes. My body felt like it was filled with cement, crushing and grinding as I tried to move.   
I was in the same room as before, only all of the piles of stuff had disappeared, revealing the truly lavish suite that was hidden underneath it. I checked for my compass, but groaned as I realized I was without it once again. A voice from the corner made me realize I wasn’t alone.  
“Well it’s about time you woke up.” I turned and saw the calico that had started this whole mess.  
“You! What did you do with my compass?” Delilah’s eyes squinted at me.  
“I’m sorry. It was the only way to get you to the Otherworld. Only totems allow mortals to cross over.”  
“It’s not a totem! It’s just freaking magnets! Now give it back.”  
“You’re not in the position to be demanding things, you know.” I looked over at Tiffany, who was grooming her luscious fur. Miko was carefully watching her tail flick back and forth. “You better get some better manners before the King returns.” I painfully brought myself up to a sitting position. Delilah jumped up next to me, rubbing against me sympathetically.  
“I forgot how susceptible humans are to magic. I am sorry it was such a strong hex.” I nodded slowly, trying to fight the pounding headache currently beating the insides of my brain. “Romeo went to get him...I hope he’s not too angry. He was very cross when he found you.” I tried to stand, only to fall back onto the cushiony bed. “He’s always getting cross with me.”  
“We all know you’re his favorite, Delilah. You could murder someone and he’d forgive you.” Tiffany now also joined us on the bed.   
“Is the Fairy King like all the stories? Does he really eat pretty girls’ hearts after kidnapping them?”  
“I mean, I haven’t seen him eat anybody’s heart,” Miko said as he nestled himself next to me. The three cats made me feel warm and safe, like a sort of healing aura as they rumbled quietly. It felt like an eternity before their ears pricked up again. I was able to stand now, and I faced the door apprehensively. I felt a little more courage with my feline guardians seated next to me in a row.   
A small man opened it, clad in bone white and dark chocolate brown. He was flanked by two large men in masquerade masks, each holding an equally gaudy pike.   
“Your presence is demanded by the Fairy King, mortal.” I bit my lip and looked down at the cats. They all stared back at me, motioning with their tails to start walking. They followed close behind me, Miko trying desperately to keep up with his small legs. We were brought back to the main hall, but this time it was filled with dressed up individuals. I immediately got the feeling these were all fae, members of the Fairy Court. Draped across his throne, clad in scarlet lined with white fur, was the Fairy King.  
My breath caught in my throat as I was pushed forward. His dark eyes looked straight through me , piercing deep inside my heart. I detected no malice or rage, but a cold, dark emotion I never had experienced before. In his hand, I saw it. My compass.  
“So, you’re the mortal that has trespassed into my domain.” His voice was smooth and beautifully haunting. I tried not to look intimidated as I took my spot in front of him. I felt every eye in the room was glued to us. The kitties rushed past me and ran into his open arms. “Oh Delilah, you naughty thing. All of you, leading a mortal into my bedchambers. What will I ever do with the lot of you.” A smile flashed across his face as he kissed them on their head, scratching their ears. The cats all seemed to absolutely adore the King, rubbing against him and purring. When his attention returned to me, I saw a less hardened expression than from before.   
“Please, your majesty. I didn’t-”  
“You will speak when spoken too,” he snapped. I clenched my jaw to keep the sudden rage I felt from blowing up. “Where did you get this.”  
“It was my grandfather’s. He gave it to me as a gift.” The King’s eyes shone with dangerous ferocity.  
“You’re...You’re Seamus’ kin?”  
“My...my grandpa was named Jim.”  
“So you are…” He stood suddenly, scaring the cats at his feet. “You are the descendant of Seamus.” The court was filled with shocked gasps. “Only Seamus wielded this totem. And he owed me a great debt. You as his kin will repay it.” He walked right up to me, staring at me in the eyes. I stared back in haughty defiance.  
“It’s not a totem! It’s a compass! And I just want to go home.”  
“You’re not leaving… Not until I find some use of you. He whipped his cape around as he returned to his throne.   
“Wait!” I struggled as the guards closed their hands around my arms. “Let me go! You can’t keep me prisoner here!” He didn’t even acknowledge me as I was dragged away. I kicked frantically as the guards dragged me through the castle once again to a new room. It was a beautiful room, covered in gold and pink satin. A boutique sat in the corner, and a small bay window pointed outwards to the sprawling grounds of the Fairy Court. They finally let go of me, and I rushed at them as the locked the door. “Let me go, fae! Let me go home...please…” I whispered the please so softly I barely even heard it. I wiped away the tears forming in my eyes. I was only comforted by the sudden appearance of Delilah, Tiffany, and Miko.  
“Hush, child. It’ll be alright.” I sniffled pitifully as Tiffany addressed me.   
“Yeah...he’s not going to hurt you.”  
“I don’t care if he hurts me! I want to go home. Not be locked up in some castle…Ugh. I want to kick him in his stupid face.” Miko jumped into my lap sympathetically. “I hate him. How can you all stand him?”  
“He isn’t a terrible brute,” Delilah mewed.  
“He’s a monster. I hate him.” I clenched my fists. “I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you! Is that why you led me here and took my compass? Because you knew about my grandfather?!” I stood and stalked to the other side of the room. “Just leave me alone, you stupid cats!” I turned and they had vanished, and I immediately regretted it. Out of stubborness, I refused to apologize and threw myself onto the canopied bed. “Goddammit Pops. What did you get me into?” I thought back to the night before he died. He had given me the compass, his last words of advice, and disappeared into the woods. We never did find his body. Perhaps he was trying to repay his debt, whatever it was.   
I turned and stared out the window, praying to any of the Old Gods that would hear me. Even as I drifted off into an uneasy sleep, I was still whispering. “Please...please...please...please.”


	3. The Millionaire Waltz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please know that if I use a song title as a chapter heading, that song inspired me for that chapter. Just in case you like listening to music to get into a story.

I had a terrible dream. It was the Fairy King. He was happy for some reason, but all I could see was a malevolent force rearing up behind him. It was black cloud, foaming and frothing in an ashen column. I tried to run, but the King refused to let me go, his face turning from glee to questioning fear. I finally ripped free and ran into nothingness.   
I jolted up in bed, my heart pumping wildly even though I recognized that the dark force wasn’t there. It was only a dream, but my body raced in fear. I spent a minute or two pacing and forcing myself to breathe. When my blood stopped gushing through my veins I sat at the vanity. I stared into it. My mother had always said mirrors acted like portals. My hand slowly stretched towards it, making contact with the cool glass. I somehow felt my heart ache for someone. I felt like I was comforting someone. I removed my hand quickly, unnerved by the supposed magic I experienced. I suddenly missed my cat friends, and again felt guilty for yelling at them. I walked towards the door and tried the handle. It didn’t turn at all. I tried the handles on the window. Also locked. I sat down in frustration.  
“Delilah? I don’t know how magic works...but if you can hear me...I’m sorry I really am.” A soft paw tapped at my foot and I looked to see a grumpy looking Delilah.  
“You didn’t have to be so mean.”  
“I know, I’m so sorry darling.” Her hair stood on end. “What?”  
“Nothing...maybe you really are Seamus’ kin.”  
“My grandpa was Jim, not Seamus. I keep trying to tell you that.”  
“Seamus is his Fairy name...It means the same as Jim. Like how yours isn’t...what is your name anyway?”  
“Charlie.”  
“Searlis.”   
“Searlis…”  
“Be careful. It’s your true name. Don’t run around giving it away. Names in this place have power.” I petted her happily.   
“Why is my grandfather so important?”  
“He lived with us for a long time. But he was scared away by evil magic. He broke a promise with the Fairy King.”  
“What was the promise.” She looked away for a moment.  
“To stay here forever.”  
“Delilah, I can’t stay here. I need to go home!”   
“I can’t help you. Seamus made a pact with the Fairy King. It’s a promise forged in magic. When Seamus broke it, he cursed his descendants to fulfill it for him.”  
“That’s why he didn’t want me going into the forest...because he knew the Fairy King could find me instead of him.” I pulled my knees up to my chin, thinking quietly. “The night he went missing...he went into the woods, but he left his compass with me. We never found him...does the Fairy King control all of the entrances to the Otherworld?”  
“Of course not.”  
“So...perhaps my grandfather went through the wrong entrance? Maybe he was trying to return but...got lost?” I picked her up softly and returned to the bed, still thinking. “Could Pops still be alive?” My thinking was interrupted by a knock and the door opening to reveal a guard with a few women in operatic costumes.  
“Oh! Look at how cute she is! Simply adorable!” Delilah ran like a flash out of the room and I wished I could follow her. “Now my dear, the King wants you at his party but we simply can’t have you attending in those!” I looked down at my hiking boots, jeans, and sweatshirt.  
“Listen, I’m not going to any party.”  
“Of course you are! The King demands it.”  
“Yeah, well if the King wanted me to come he should’ve sent a proper invitation!” I crossed my arms stubbornly and one of the ladies rolled her eyes.  
“Mortals, so obstinate.” With a flick of her hand I was pushed into the vanity chair. It was only seconds before I was revealed, clothes changed, face done, hair washed and perfumed. They had thankfully stuck with a more ‘natural’ look and left away from their powdered wigs and faces. I shook my head angrily at the magic, but stopped fighting it.   
The guard led me back to the Main Hall and I was bombarded by a sight of color and music. It was a legendary party to say the least. Masked men and dandy women flew across the room to a haunting musical band. The guards rough arm pulled me towards the throne, and I could barely stop myself from glaring at the cockatoo of a man I knew as the Fairy King. He had changed into a tight red suit covered in eyes, one side ripped into strings and the other sporting a feathered wing off the shoulder. A lone, unoccupied seat sat next to him, which I quickly found was meant to be my place at this extravaganza.  
“Have you found your living quarters comfortable?” The sheer cockiness in his voice made me want to take my shoe and stab him with it.  
“Yes, they’re fine.” He leaned closer at me, and I could now see the intricate details of his make up. His eyebrows were perfect, more than I could ever know mine to be. Despite my hatred I couldn’t help but acknowledge his beauty.   
“You should be more thankful than that. I should have put you in my dungeons.”  
“Is that where you kept my grandfather?” He froze and glared at me. “Delilah told me. In fact I think a few of your guards are quite keen on me.” I smiled and dropped a hand to rub Miko’s little head. His affection to me made the King sour even more.  
“You would do well for yourself not mentioning your grandfather…” I locked eyes with him, and for a second I saw grief in them. Unquenchable, tireless grief. Grief only a fae could know. I turned away, still angry but also slightly sympathetic to the King. Miko jumped into my lap and I continued to pet him until the King finally stood.  
“Would...you do me the pleasure of dancing with me.” It sounded more like a command than a question, but I felt like I didn’t really have a choice.  
“I don’t know how to dance.”  
“You’ll try.” As we walked to the floor I could still tell everyone was staring at us. The band started the next song, and I worked especially hard not to mess up. It was a waltz, so I counted in my head, desperate not to fail. When I looked up from my feet all I saw was a far away look in the King’s eyes. It held love and yearning, and heartbreak behind it all. I stopped counting and surprised myself when I found myself enjoying myself. I guessed it was something to do with the fairy music, but I couldn’t stop myself from cracking a smile. It took him aback I thought he’d stop completely, but he managed to stay in time. He smiled as well. “Do I detect some happiness from your sour soul?”  
“Don’t ruin a good mood.” I threw my head back and the night suddenly turned into a dream like, foggy vision. We talked all night, he was extraordinarily funny. He wanted to dance every other dance, he was an extraordinarily bad dancer when not waltzing.   
I don’t remember falling asleep on his shoulder. I do remember being put gently to bed, and him chuckling.  
“Go to sleep, darling.” I nodded and felt Miko curl up beside me, and I fell asleep once again.   
When I woke up, I was still slightly delirious. I was back in my clothes, my regular clothes. Miko was still soundly sleeping beside me. I laid on my back and remembered the whole night. It had felt so intoxicating. I wondered how the Fairy King did it every night...but maybe knew why my grandpa had stayed with him. You could get lost in his world forever, and never know how to get out.


	4. The Quest of the Navigator

I began to lose track of time. Tiffany informed me Time is an illusion in the Otherworld. It could be fifty years in the Otherworld but only an hour in the Mortal World. I didn’t have the heart to ask if it worked the other way around as well. But, I soon found my stomach clenching into knots. I had refused to eat fairy food. I had heard too many stories as a child to not accept the food of fae, or else I’d be cursed. Still, even if time did work differently here, I still got hungry. I tried not to show my growing stomach pains, but I knew the cats and even maybe the King himself could tell something was wrong.  
“I was only kidding, you know. The King wouldn’t pull any tricks on you.”  
“I’m not hungry, Tiffany. Really.”  
“You haven’t eaten since you’ve gotten here!”  
“Yes I have! You just must have missed it.” I was sitting with the cats at a fountain in the garden. I had begun enjoying wearing the pretty dresses the King gifted to me. I had always wanted to be a princess, sue me. I couldn’t help but enjoy it. I smoothed out a crinkle on the beautiful teal fabric that the cats had made their beds on.  
“Not all the same rules apply here, but you needing food isn’t one.” Tiffany stared hard at me, but I brushed it off. I moved the cats and stood.  
“I’m fine...really. I’m going to the rose garden...God I sound pretentious. I know the King has you watching out for me but...can I get a little alone time?” They all nodded and proceeded to find new napping spots. I made my way towards one of my favorite places. The rose garden was always in full bloom, tended with magic and full of sprites. At night, lights were strung across the garden for party-goers. It really was a beautiful place.  
When I arrived, I sat down on a stone bench and tried to will my hunger away. I soon realized, however, that I wasn’t alone.  
“Hungry?” I looked up at the man next to me. He was dressed in tails, his blonde hair perfectly groomed to one side. “Here…” From seemingly thin air he produced an apple. I gave a half-hearted laugh.  
“I...I do know better than to accept food from a fae.”  
“Don’t worry. It’s not fae...if you’d prefer…” It shifted suddenly to an orange, and then a pomegranate, and then a peach. He smiled sweetly at me. “I do suppose my tricks won’t make you trust me.” It returned to an apple when he placed it in my hand. “You know, you really ought not to refuse a fae’s gift. Could be seen as rude.” He winked playfully at me. “Go on, I swear it’s not poisoned or hexed.”  
I watched him for a few moments, but my hungry stomach overpowered my sense of reason. I bit into it, savoring the waxy skin and juicy flesh.  
“See? I bet you feel better now, anyways.” I nodded and took another bite. However, this one wasn’t quite right. It was still an apple, but I couldn’t push away a nagging voice. Don’t trust him. Don’t trust him. Don’t trust him.  
“Thank you so much, sir.” I gave an awkward curtsy and tried my hardest not to run from his persistent smile. When I returned to the cats, they perked up at my alarmed state. Delilah ran up, sniffing at my hand that still held the partially eaten apple. Her back hairs raised.  
“Who gave this to you?”  
“I don’t...He was over in the garden...I...oh god what’s going to happen to me?” Tiffany leapt up and sniffed it as well. She gave it a small lick and snorted.  
“It’s fine...but you can’t accept strange food.”  
“I know...I don’t know why...I don’t know why I ate it…” I had dropped the apple, feeling uneasy. “I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”  
When I returned to my room for bed, I couldn’t shake the thought of the voice ringing in my head. Don’t trust him. It followed me when I laid down to sleep.  
I had another nightmare. This time, I was faced by my grandfather. He was just as I remembered him. Strangely youthful in appearance, shining eyes, strong arms. But he was terrified. I saw it in his face.  
“Charlie! Run! Don’t stay here!”  
“Pops? Pops where are you! I’m going to find you!” I reached out to him. My compass pointed directly to him.  
“No! He wants that! Just leave this place, Charlie.”  
His image began to get fuzzy, like a bad signal.  
“I’ll find you, Papa.” I whispered my baby name for him mostly to myself. My grandfather was still alive, and he needed my help. The next morning I pleaded with the Fairy King. He was seated in his great throne, clad in a technicolor, vibrant kimono. He was restless as I addressed him.  
“Please, Fairy King! My grandfather is alive, and he needs my help!” He turned and looked skeptically at me.  
“I will not allow to leave...even if your claims were true, I wouldn’t allow you to leave. How would you even find him.”  
“My compass.” He shot up.  
“Absolutely not. Are you trying to trick me, mortal?”  
“No! I just thought you cared enough about my grandfather you’d let me find him!” My hands were clenched in angry fists. He didn’t look at me as he stalked across the carpeted stairs.  
“You are not leaving,” he hissed at me. I marched up to his face and glared stubbornly.  
“I’m going to find him. You’re not going to stop me.” There was a frozen silence as we stared. Then, I saw something shift in his gaze. He dug into his pocket and angrily put the compass in my hand.  
“There. Go. Leave my sight immediately.” The cats and guards stared in shocked silence as he turned away. “What! What are you all staring at!” They scattered, leaving us alone. “I thought you liked it here...you’re just like your grandfather.” He braced his body against the stair railing, visibly shaken.  
“I need to find him...I’ll bring him back.”  
“Don’t lie to me,” he screamed at me, before slouching back onto his seat. I turned away from the Fairy King, and began to prepare. I put on my original mortal world clothes, scrounged a sword from the armory, enough food to last me at least a week. As I left the courtyard, I saw Delilah, Tiffany, and Miko waiting for me.  
“We’re coming with you, Charlie.” Tiffany looked disinterested as usual.  
“No, you guys have to stay here.”  
“We’re gonna make sure you come back,” Tiffany yawned. “Plus, you’ll need guides. The Otherworld is a dangerous place.  
“Alright then...we’re a team.” I picked up Miko and cradled him in my arm. “I assume you guys don’t have bikes in the fairy world?” Delilah snickered.  
“No, something much better.” She turned towards the open gate leading into the Fairy Woods, and let out a ferocious roar. Her body morphed easily into that of a large cat. It resembled a tiger with calico patterning.  
“You guys could do that this entire time?”  
“It takes up a lot of space.” Tiffany also changed into a sleek looking long haired snow leopard. Miko grumbled something about him not being old enough to use that kind of magic. I mounted Delilah, clutching her fur to keep myself steady. My eyes rose to the balcony, and I saw the Fairy King watching. He didn’t stay long. He walked away with a great flourish, leaving me alone with my companions. “Ok...let’s go.”  
They ran with such swift grace I felt my breath get caught in my lungs. It could have only been a few seconds before we were met at a crossroads. I checked the compass. It pointed right.  
“It’s saying to go right.”  
“It has to be kidding! That’s the direction of the Gem Kingdom. That’s where the Governor of Gems lives. He hates the Fairy King.” Miko sniffed the compass dubiously. “Try again, Charlie.”  
“Nope, it’s definitely pointing right. Maybe this Governor knows something about my grandfather. Come on, we have to try.” Tiffany and Delilah glanced at each other but said nothing as we returned to the strange magical travel the cats knew so well and raced towards the Gem Kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you care, I imagined Fairy King singing Nevermore at the end.


	5. Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another one bites it.

At first, I thought they were joking. It was a barren plain, no settlement in sight. A few trees dotted the extreme flat landscape.  
“This is the Gem Kingdom?” I slid off the back of Delilah, testingly kicking the dusty ground with my foot.  
“No...it’s beneath us.” Tiffany sniffed as she returned to her house cat size. “The Gem Kingdom is an elaborate series of tunnels...mortals enter through caves in the Mortal Realm and die of exhaustion or starvation. It’s a labyrinth…”  
“How are we going to find this Governor guy?” I looked at my compass, trying to get some reading, but it only swung lazily around to north again. I wasn’t able to try very much, as Delilah and Tiffany began growling at something in the grass. “What is it? Guys! Hey!” They started chasing something in the tall grass, leaving me to struggle behind them, holding Miko close to me as I jostled over the rocky soil. Eventually I caught up to them, scratching at a burrow with a small wooden door. “You guys can’t run off like that!”  
“Here...it’s an entrance.”  
“I can see that.” I put Miko down and crawled on my hands and knees into the entryway. It reminded me of pictures of aardvark burrows I had seen in nature magazines. I knocked lightly, and was met by two black, beady eyes.  
“Whaddyawant.” Its voice was gruff and quick. I cleared my throat awkwardly.  
“I uhm...I request an audience with the Governor of Gems?”  
“Hmm...Busy. What give?”  
“Oh...I uh…” I dug through my pockets, trying to find something. I eventually found a shiny penny and offered it to the doorman. He sniffed it cautiously.  
“Quick. Be quick. Leave fur rats here.” Tiffany hissed at the being angrily.  
“Don’t worry guys, I promise I’ll come back.” The three sat down as the door swung open, revealing a mole in tiny worker clothes.  
“Come. Be quick.” I nodded and crawled after the scampering rodent. It was just big enough for me to squeeze through. At first the tunnel was black as night, but I slowly approached a soft light in the distance. The mole was stopped at a glowing crystal, and a little elevator. “Built good. Get.” He motioned for me to enter it, and I obliged. It was a terribly tight squeeze, but Mole only squashed into me and pulled a lever, sending us shooting downwards. My stomach dropped and I screamed like I was on a terrifying roller coaster. “Very loud! Not good for blind folk.” I stopped and clutched my legs to provide some semblance of security. As we descended, I saw other tunnels, other little burrowing animals in worker clothes like the mole. Then the tunnels grew larger, turned into tiny towns lighted by oil lamps. Each was a miniature mining village. Eventually, our lift slowed slightly as we approached our destination. A giant cavern opened before me. It was shining with gold and jewels, and glowing with crystals that hung from the ceiling like stalactites. Despite being completely underground, it was a bright, joyful city. The cave was larger than any other I had seen before. It could a human sized city, let alone the little buildings that sprawled across the floor. We stopped, and I crawled out, finally allowed to stand at my full height. “Come quick. Careful tails.” He bounded forward, leading me through the city.  
The buildings were a foot taller than me, with little apartments and stores and street lamps. I wasn’t allowed to linger, as the entire population was just as fast as the mole. Everyone was doing something, wheeling valuable goods or piles of roots. I saw one roadrunner selling worms like a fishmonger. A small mouse mother was hanging clothes out to dry, and I ducked to not mess with her chores. All the scattering citizens moved around me like water, as if knowing exactly how I moved and how to avoid my big, clunky feet.  
Eventually we reached a human sized building. It was carved from rock and covered in gems, gold and silver, marble. Mole lead me through the doors and I saw a thin man with silver hair (not gray, literally silver). He was dressed in silver clothes, seated on a glorious throne carved with unicorns of opal and gem eyes of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. He had a kind face, and held a bass guitar in his lap, bopping adorably to the beat he was playing. You suddenly realized that the bass had been thumping in your head since you entered the tunnels, almost a whisper then but fully in your ears as you faced the producer. It was a funky beat, and you found your foot tapping without your knowledge.  
“Oh. Hi Winston.”  
“Mmm. Mortal. Wants see you.” I walked forward, now a little nervous, but it washed away as he gave a soft smile.  
“Hey. Call me Deaky.” He continued strumming as I approached.  
“Oh...uhm...I need your help.”  
“With what?” He seemed so nonchalant, you felt like you were talking to a friend’s cool dad.  
“My grandpa. He got lost and I need to find him. He’s in trouble.”  
“Oh? He isn’t here. I know everything that happens in my tunnels.”  
“But I need to find him. My grandfather owes the Fairy King a debt.” He stopped strumming and put aside his bass.  
“So your Seamus’ kid? Freddie really has got a hold on your family tree.”  
“Freddie? The Fairy King’s name is Freddie?” I tried not to giggle at the fact this grand fae creature was called ‘Freddie’.  
“Don’t tell him I told you that. Listen, I don’t help him out anymore…” His face suddenly changed to a stony disposition.  
“Why not?”  
“He broke up the band. We were protectors of both worlds, creators of magic. Then we fought and now...we all stay in our domains. I miss them.”  
“Wait...a...a band!? Fairies have bands!?”  
“Not just any band, the queen of all magical music in time and space...we were the Princes of the Universe.”  
“THE PRINCES OF THE UNIVERSE WERE A BAND?” My jaw was dropped to the ground, barely able to bring the idea of rock and roll and fae together. It actually began to make more sense.  
“Oh yeah. I don’t really like the whole mystique thing the others have going on.”  
“Wait, is David Bowie a fae?” He shrugged and laughed a little before resuming his bass playing. “Sorry, I’m getting distracted. Listen. My grandpa is in trouble and everyone at the Fairy Court thought I was some navigator or something.” He smiled at me.  
“Don’t worry. Your grandfather is the real Navigator...he didn’t get it the first time but if he is still alive then I want to help you.”  
“Really?”  
“Of course. I miss the others. Even if Freddie is a prick sometimes…”  
“I understand completely.” He smiled and shouldered his guitar.  
“Well, we better go get Brian and Roger.”  
“They are…?”  
“The Emperor of the Stars and the Tempest Lord...respectively.” With a snap of his fingers, we were riding upwards in a lift to the surface. The cats were surprised by our sudden sprouting from the ground. “Hey guys.”  
“Your majesty!” Tiffany bowed down and kicked Miko do the same.  
“Oh come on guys...I’m going with her to get the others.”  
“The other Princes? Really?” Miko jumped up in excitement.  
“Yeah...but you can’t come. I’ll take care of her, don’t worry.”  
“I think...I think Deaky’s right. Thank you so much for getting me this far but...you should go back to the Fairy Kingdom.” I knelt down and scratched all their heads. “I swear on my heart I will do whatever it takes to come back to you. Ok?” They looked saddened but understanding. “I promise.”  
“That’s what Seamus said,” Delilah whispered. I drug them all together in a big hug and kissed their soft little heads.  
“I’ll bring us both back.” I gave them all one last loving scratch behind the ears and turned to Deaky. “Ready?”  
“Of course.” With a single rift of his bass he was transformed into a beautiful unicorn. “Hop on.” I mounted and gave one last wave goodbye to the cats before racing off towards the mountains in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you couldn't tell I wrote this imagining Deaky riffing Another One Bites the Dust.


	6. Sheer Heart Attack

We were nearing a stone fort, towering with spires and parapets. As we approached, I heard someone screaming incoherently and beating on drums wildly.   
“Roger. He’s locked himself in his castle again.” I slid easily from Deaky’s back and he returned to his human form. I could clearly see the unimpressed eye roll he did as the sound of a gong shattered through the air. “So dramatic.” He waltzed up to the iron gate and knocked. It seemed too quiet to be heard over the percussion. The gate rose anyway, allowing us entry before slamming shut behind us. “Roger! It’s Deaky! Come on out. I brought a guest.” We entered the main hall to reveal a hall filled with metal, gadgets, and general junk. I was starting to wonder if all fae were hoarders. A blonde man walked out from behind a pile ahead of us. He was wearing a frilled color and quilted shirt and silky pants. His striking blue eyes were highlighted by a tattoo on his temple.  
“Deaky. I told you I’m not coming out. Not till HE apologizes.” His head jerked towards the mountain that bordered the walls of the castle.  
“You got in a fight with Brian again?”  
“Yeah! Who else. Gods damn the universe. Putting our kingdoms right next to each other. Oh, Roger! Your making too much noise. Oh, Roger, I can’t see my stars through your storm clouds. Oh Roger, stop trying to bring a car to the Otherworld.”  
“He might have a point on that.”  
“He doesn’t! He’s an absolute prick and you-” He finally noticed me and I gave an awkward wave. “Oh. I uh.” He cleared his throat and stomped his foot. The trash was magically pushed off to the sides of the hall. “Greetings, fair lady.” He put on the most charming smile as he kissed my hand. I felt my face color a bit and I shyly looked down at my dirty boots.   
“Oh please, Roger. She’s Seamus’ granddaughter.” Roger’s eyes lit up.  
“Granddaughter? A lucky lineage indeed. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Tempest Lord, Master of Thunder and Cacophony. You may call me Roger. And If I may, could I inquire the name of my beautiful guest?” Deaky rolled his eyes even harder before.  
“Ch...Charlie.” He smiled again and took my arm in his and walked us farther into his home.  
“A beautiful name! Short for Charlotte I assume?”  
“Uh...yeah.”  
“So regal! Very befitting of someone such as yourself.” I blushed again.  
“I always thought it was kind of stuffie.”  
“No shame in such elegance in a name, sweet lady.” We turned as Deaky cleared his throat.  
“We actually came for a reason, Rog.”  
“Well, we can talk about it over dinner.” He smiled and stomped again, producing an extravagant meal on a beautiful carved table. “Your seat, my lady.” I sat graciously next to him. Deaky looked like he wanted to bang his head against the wall.  
“I...I’m trying to find my grandfather. I think he’s in trouble. Deaky said that...I need the Princes of the Universe.” Roger drug a finger around the rim of his full wine glass.   
“I’m always up to cause a stir, Deaky. I just don’t know how Emperor Fancy-pants is gonna feel. He’s still pretty sore about last time.”  
“We’re all sore about it,” Deaky muttered. I flicked my gaze between the two before speaking.  
“What exactly broke up the Princes before?”  
“Differences in opinion on a certain fae.” Roger spit the words out like venom. The entire building seemed to shake for a moment. He looked as I grabbed the arms on my chair. “Sorry. Makes me lose my temper.”  
“This was a very dark magic, and Freddie wouldn’t listen to us. He wouldn’t even listen to your grandfather.” Deaky sighed.  
“That’s why he left?” Roger nodded sadly.  
“I always liked your grandfather. Very down to earth, despite living in the Fairy Court. I never knew he tried to come back. If he is in trouble, you have my full support.” He stood and walked to the center of the room. “Check this out, Charlie.” His playful smirk made me brace myself, and I was lucky I did. His hand pulled drumsticks from thin air, and ethereal drums formed in front of him. With not even a glance back at us, he began beating them. The sound was so loud I thought I was dying. My heart felt like it was going to liquefy or explode into flames or both. Deaky grabbed my arm and the noise quieted in my brain. I still felt my body shaking from the sheer power of the the music. After what seemed like an eternity, Roger stopped and leaned forward, listening for something.  
“Roger! She’s just a mortal for gods’ sakes! You’re gonna kill her like that.” He turned slightly and honestly seemed surprised by how terrible I looked. Well, I assume I looked terrible cause I certainly felt that way.  
“I’m so sorry, Charlie. I totally forgot what my magic can do.”  
“I’m fine. I’ve been put off by harder rock than that.” I gave an uneasy laugh as I stood, Deaky still clutching my arm. Our attentions were turned to the sudden opening of the door. There, stood in his flowing robes and crowned in nebulae, was the Emperor of the Stars.


	7. Emperor of the Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Serious Back Chat vibes from Deaky in this chapter.
> 
> (Also sorry for being short.)

“Roger. I swear to any higher being in this universe...I’M GONNA KILL YOU.” The halo of stardust around him, interweaving in between his curly hair, seemed out of place as he screamed at the smirking drummer.  
“Fae can’t kill other fae, Brian.”  
“A hypothesis I’m going to disprove someday, you son of a bit- Oh hi Deaky.”   
Deaky raised an eyebrow and glared slightly at the tall, robed man. I could tell they got on each other’s nerves. I was still slightly sick from Roger’s noise, and held onto Deaky’s shoulder to steady myself. He turned his annoyance of Brian to concern for me.  
“Oh look you got the girl hurt. Who is she, another princess you whisked away?”  
“Haha. Princesses are actually very rare nowadays in the Otherworld. And she happens to be Seamus’ granddaughter.”  
“Why are you trying to kill Seamus’ kin?”  
“I didn’t...I wanted you to get here quickly!” Roger threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. “I forgot mortals don’t take to it as well as we do.”  
“No, you didn’t think, as usual.”  
“Oh for crying out loud.” Roger face palmed himself so hard I thought he’d leave a mark. “Can you for once in your annoying long life just shut up?”  
“Uh…” I coughed awkwardly and Brian turned to me. “Hi...I need your help?”  
“Is it Seamus?”  
“He’s in trouble but...I don’t know where he is or how to save him.” I produced my compass and he strode forward, analyzing it in my hand. “All I have is my compass to find him.”   
“Well, a navigational tool is a good place to start. I’ll help. Where’s Freddie?”  
“I...I don’t know if he’ll want to help me,” I whispered. I thought back to the face of betrayal before I left the Fairy Court. It hurt me to remember. “I left him on an angry note.”  
“Welcome to the club,” Roger muttered. He was silenced by an elbow from Deaky. “We know Fred, Charlie. We’ll get him to help.”  
“I hope so…”  
“Well, we’ll never know if we never ask.” The four of us walked to the open plains that stretched towards the Fairy Court. Deaky once again turned into a beautiful, silver-maned unicorn. I didn’t have time to marvel at him before, but he truly sparkled with a soft and gentle aura. Next was Roger. With a mighty roar he was ripped into a large golden lion, his mane shining like bronze in the beating sun. Finally, Brian slipped into the shape of a lithe, winged-horse, black as night with his mane curling more than horse hair usually did.   
“Come on, Charlie.” Deaky lowered himself for me, and as I clutched his neck, he gave me a comforting look. “You ok?”  
“Yeah. Really I’m fine. Let’s go.” He nodded, and we rode towards the forest of the Fairy King.


	8. Lord of all Darkness; King of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter: Villain

I didn’t want to enter the forest again. It seemed darker than before, even if I was flanked by extremely powerful magical beings. I checked my compass again and it wasn’t giving me any readings. It swung lazily as I turned, always returning north. At least I knew it still worked.  
“Charlie?” Roger put a soft hand on my shoulder. I gave a small smile.  
“Yeah?”  
“Is everything ok?”  
“Hmm? Oh yeah! I think you guys go too fast for me.” I pocketed my compass and looked back into the woods. It still felt weird.  
“Ok. We can walk.” I nodded thankfully at Roger and we began to make our way towards the castle. The trees felt so constricting, making me claustrophobic despite having ample space to exist in.   
“Hey, uhm...Roger?”  
“Yeah, Charlie?”  
“What was the fae...that broke you guys up before?” Deaky and Brian both avoided my eyeline as I closed in on Roger.  
“He was just...he was very dark. Freddie wouldn’t see what we saw. What your grandfather saw. He worked with black magic, feeding his ambitions and hunger...his name was Pol.” I nodded and returned my gaze to the road. “Did you meet him?”  
“I don’t...maybe…”  
“You’d know if it was him. He sticks with you like a bad cold.” Brian shook his head angrily. He suddenly stopped, putting out an arm to halt my progress as well.  
“What?” I looked at the others. Roger was glaring at the empty space around us. Deaky had his eyes closed as if trying to focus on something. “Deaky, what is it?”  
“Charlie, stay close. There’s something wrong here.” I looked in vain to see what they saw. A thick mist was encircling our feet. Roger pulled me closer to him, and I didn’t pull away. In truth I was terrified. Before I could understand what was happening, a tendril of inky black energy slammed into the tree next to us. “Roger! Get her to safety!” He nodded, and we sprinted away from Brian and Deaky.   
They gave each other a knowing look, before unleashing their guitars.   
Roger ushered me forward. We reached a clearing, and he attempted to change back into the golden lion, but the shadowy tentacles had followed us. They flooded over him, stabbing and choking him with no mercy.  
“Roger!”  
“Run! Charlie, run!” I wanted to do something. Anything. The attacking entity seemed to etch itself into his skin like acid. His screams were agonizing as they coiled tighter and tighter around him, burning and producing a lingering trail of black smoke from where it made contact.   
I could do nothing. I was a mortal, a girl. I had no magic and here this powerful being was being tortured before me and I could do nothing. I did the only thing I could. I ran as fast as I could, ducking under branches and avoiding rocky terrain. I had been forced off of the road by whatever thing was attacking us, and now I felt completely lost. I couldn’t stop to look at my compass. I was stuck running from the faceless entity. Eventually, I found myself in a misty clearing. The dark mass wasn’t following me anymore, but I still felt the dread rise in my stomach. The man in tails, handsome, blonde hair slicked back. He looked amused by my terror.  
“You have been a troublesome little mortal haven’t you?”  
“What have you done to the others.” I felt my hands shaking as I stared at him.  
“I’ve just...tied them up for a little.” He smirked and pulled his hand over his hair.  
“What do you want...where’s my grandfather.” His demeanor turned from cocky to angry, suddenly closing the gap between us. His voice felt earth-shaking as I retreated.  
“You insolent mortal. I’ll make the both of you wish you’d never even knew about fae.” From his outstretched hand, the black shapes curled around me. They were cold and made my body feel as if it was in an ice bath. I couldn’t breathe as they wrapped around my body, squeezing any semblance of warmth or consciousness from me.


	9. Death on Two Legs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES CHARLIE GOING THROUGH INCREDIBLE PAIN/TORTURE. PROCEED WITH CAUTION))

When I woke up, I wasn’t in the clearing. I was on a hard, stone floor. My limbs refused to move, and I was cold. Every drop of water in my body was frigid. The world was moving in a sluggish manner, slightly blurred and warped. My gut wanted to wrench itself free from its mooring, twist itself into a monkey’s fist knot, and escape the hellscape that was my body. In short, I felt terrible.  
It was dark. I wanted to cry, not because of everything that had happened. The place I was in seemed to make me want to sob and lose all hope. Wherever I was, it was very powerful and very dangerous. I thank whoever is out there that I wasn’t alone.  
“Charlie? Darling is that you?” I was swept up into a set of strong, hairy arms and a familiar smell. My fingers managed to curl around his shirt in agonizing want of protection.  
“Papa?”  
“Yes, kiddo. I’m here don’t worry.” Now I really did cry. My grandfather had been so loving and caring to me, it had killed me when he disappeared. He had been my best friend, taught me how to tie my shoelaces, how to make a pancake...he taught me about fairies. I felt like a little girl with a skinned knee, begging for care and attention. My strength was all focused on hugging my grandfather with all the might I could muster. “It’s ok...the feeling will pass soon. His magic is strong but its not forever.”  
Eventually I did manage to regain my sense of being. I was no longer adrift in a sea of depression. I had my grandfather again. I still felt like I was gonna puke my brains out though.  
“I’m sorry, Papa. I should’ve listened to you. About the forest...about leaving. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”  
“I know darling. It’s gonna be alright.” I looked up at him for the first time. He hadn’t aged a day. His hair was still black and shining, his eyes crowned with smile lines, his moustache still bushy and hiding a usually beaming smile.  
“Oh what a touching reunion.” We were suddenly flooded with light as the dark walls fell around us, producing a large room and the blonde man lounging in an overtly villainous throne. “I think I might cry.”  
“Let her go, Pol. She has nothing to do with this.” My grandfather’s hold on me tightened; I could hear his heart begin to race.  
“Oh she very much does. I know have the two things I need to finally destroy whatever little...relationship you had with the Fairy King.” His smile twisted into a more gleaming grin. “I thought I was satisfied torturing you for eternity, but now I can actually get some use out of you.” He stepped down from his seat and snapped his fingers, forcing Jim and I apart with his black coils and snaking it around our bodies. Despite flowing like liquid, they refused to budge, even as I struggled against them. “Oh how cute, she still has fight left. I think I’ll kill that soon.” He waltzed over and tipped my head up, forcing me to look at him. Jim’s rage was almost palpable.  
“What do you want with us…” He threw his head back and guffawed at my now stupid sounding question.  
“Why my dear! You’re nothing more than bait in a quite terrible trap.”  
“You rat! I should’ve killed you years ago.” Jim’s eyes burned so violently I thought he’d kill Pol with just his seething glare. The fae, however, didn’t seem to care. He simply snapped and the flexing tendons dragged him backwards to the black stone walls of the room we were in. They stuck him there like wallpaper. I saw him grimace as they tightened, struggling to fight against them. “You’re not gonna beat them, you bastard.” Pol squinted hatefully at Jim.  
“I’m tired of you, Seamus.” His hand flicked nonchalantly and my grandfather disappeared into the rock. “Now. I believe we have unfinished business. I need to teach you some manners.” I swallowed hard.  
The pain was the worst thing I had ever experienced. It was as if my blood had fallen asleep, pricking needles through my veins as black electricity coursed over the black entity holding me. It was like when you’re in the snow and you’re so cold you being to burn. My muscles contracted and spasmed. It stopped suddenly, letting me slump to the ground with a groan.  
“Oh this is going to be fun.”

______________________________________________________  
“You’re telling me...he escaped?” Pol was back in his throne, questioning the gargoyles that were supposedly guards. His words were barely audible hisses.  
“He had help...a fairy guard…”  
“I don’t care!” The gargoyles screamed as he swallowed them in inky darkness. It dispersed, leaving only bones. His voice screamed at the unblinking eyes above us. “Find him! Find him now, you useless creatures!” They cackled and screamed as they took to the skies, flying from the cavern into the setting sun. I shuddered with painful laughter. Pol’s work on me had been very painful. I had bitten my lip on one go, smashed my nose on another. To say the least my face must not have looked that good.  
“Oh, you’re scared,” I spat at him, a bloody smile crowning my face. Despite my pain, I still had the strength to sass my captor. The cold iron chains weighed on me like the world on Atlas’ shoulders.  
He rolled his eyes and gave me a firm kick in the ribs. He managed to get me where I had been bruised before. I winced and tried to brace myself with my shoulder as I hit the floor. He took such delight in kicking me over, I couldn’t remember when it had begun. Time really was an illusion in the Otherworld, that or extremely painful torture made you forget how long you had been in a place.  
His attention was turned to the screech of his minions returning. To my dismay, I recognize the squirming black mass in their hands.  
“Miko…” He was screaming and scratching at their stone hands, unable to harm them. Pol looked absolutely giddy.  
“You are a mischief maker aren’t you?” He took the kitten from the gargoyle, holding him by the scruff of his neck. Miko continued hissing angrily.  
“Screw you!” He flailed wildly to try and attack Pol’s hand. The fae only laughed and tossed the cat aside towards me.  
“Why don’t you keep your friend some company.” Miko looked horrified. I guess I was worse than I thought.  
“Ch...Charlie?”  
“Hey buddy.” The chains fizzled away and I was allowed to hold his tiny body.  
“What did he do to you?” I had never thought cats could feel so worried.  
“I’m fine, Miko.”  
“Oh gods will you both shut up,” Pol growled. “Where the living hell is the Fairy King.” He took a threatening step towards us. My arm wrapped protectively around Miko. “Nevermind.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. “I guess I’ll have to send him the message myself.” I struggled to walk as he yanked me to the far wall where my grandfather had disappeared earlier. Pol was muttering arcane words under his breath and when he stopped, a hazy cloud had formed. “Mortal of enemy kin, blood of he I seek to kill. Forever shall burn and eternity fill.” I screamed. This was the worse it had ever been. White hot pain, like knives slashing me and the wounds closing only to be cut open again. I dropped Miko, unable to keep myself stable. My screaming felt muted in my head compared to the burning agony of my blood and flesh. It finally stopped, leaving me sobbing quietly in a weak fetal position. Miko was trying desperately to help me, his rough tongue trying to stop my tears.  
“Charlie. Charlie please say something,” Miko whispered. He curled next to my shivering body. I couldn’t form any words. I just wrapped my arm weakly around him. I prayed that Pol would just ignore me if I was quiet enough. Thankfully, it seemed he was too busy trying to get Freddie’s attention.


	10. The Princes of the Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Princes of the universe  
> Outfits: Radio Ga Ga

It really didn’t seem that long before they found me. Again, maybe it was just the intervals of terrible suffering that made me unaware of how time passed. Miko had tried to wake me up multiple times, but this time he was especially persistent.  
There was a noise. No, it wasn’t noise. It was rock and roll music. Really, really good rock and roll music. I managed to sit up. Pol was smiling gleefully. I wanted to punch him in his ankles. Miko was shaking with excitement.  
And then, as if they had always been there, they walked up. Dressed in leather and scarlet, eyes wild. The Princes of the Universe.  
“I’ve had quite enough of you meddling with my life,” Freddie growled as they walked forward. Pol laughed.  
“If only you knew! This is just the beginning.” His hand closed into a fist, and his magic lifted me to his side like a limp doll. It was the same cold, mind numbing energy that he had used in the forest. All of the Princes’ eyes grew in fury. Deaky especially looked ready to commit some very messy murder.  
“Let her go, Pol.” Roger was trying with all his might not to run up to Pol and stab him with his drum sticks.  
“I will...on one condition.”  
“What is it,” Brian asked. Pol smile grew large.  
“An exchange.”  
“Don’t...don’t do it.” His grasp tightened, forcing a whimper out of my aching lungs. Freddie stepped forward quickly.  
“Stop it! What do you want.” Pol loosened my bindings. I gasped as air returned to my lungs.  
“I will give you the mortal, in exchange for you, Fairy King.” Freddie’s jaw clenched. “Imagine! It could be like it used to be. Just you and me. Happy and forever.”  
“I’d never be happy with you.”  
“Oh I have the resources to make you love it…” Pol chuckled. “Or I could simply finish the spell I was casting on her...you know the one, Freddie.” Roger, Brian, Deaky, and Freddie looked at each other, then back at me. Freddie took a step forward.  
“Ok.”  
“Freddie no.” I found what little strength I had to struggle against Pol’s magic. “You can’t.” My words were fragile and soft, pleading with the last of what I had. Freddie looked at me, and for a second I saw his eye flutter slightly. Was he winking at me? It was clear now why. As Pol released me, I saw a figure from behind stab him with a sword. It was Pops.  
“No one hurts my little girl, you piece of shit.” Jim’s face was twisted with righteous anger as he sunk the blade deeper into Pol’s chest. The fae screamed as his corporeal form began to shimmer and fade, like it was static. He fell to the ground, fizzing with energy. Jim stood back for a second, admiring his handy work, before sprinting to me as quickly as possible. “Charlie...Charlie can you hear me?” I nodded weakly. The others also had run to see me. Roger looked like he might cry.  
“Come on. We have to get you out of here,” Brian murmured gently.  
“You...You aren’t going anywhere…” Pol had stood up, black ooze dripping from his body. As he turned, I saw massive cracks shooting over his body, revealing his rotten core. “You want to love mortals, Freddie? Fine. Have it your way.” His body disappeared into a column of smoke. “Love their pain! Their failures! Their deaths…” My heart stopped. Literally stopped. My body was set into a strange limbo and cold began to seep into my skin. I fell back in my grandfather’s arms, scratching at where my heart was meant to be. A black and maroon growth of scab had formed over it, sucking something out of me.  
The Princes worked quickly against their foe. Finally read to fight, their music was loud, triumphant...rocking. Here we are. The Princes of the Universe. It was beautiful.  
Brian’s guitar sang wildly. Roger’s drum produced a storm surge of power. Deaky’s underlying bass kept the ground they stood on from falling apart. And Freddie’s voice, I had never heard anything so bewitching in my life. Together, their music shook the very being of my soul. And Pol was useless against it. Maybe apart he could have defeated them, but their unified anger and will to protect my grandfather and I was too much. Pol was obliterated from our universe, forever.  
And as the last chords rung in my mind, the cold reached my heart. My body turned gray and I could only think one thing before I slipped away.  
“They’re amazing.”


	11. White Queen (As It Begins)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Told from JIm's POV.

“She’s gonna be okay right?” Roger was clutching Charlie’s shoulder. “She’s just unconscious, right?” Deaky was listening closely to her heart. His head rose slowly to meet our begging eyes. He shook his head. “Deaky listen harder...there has to be something you can do!”  
“She’s gone, Rog.” Deaky looked like his heart was breaking into thousands of pieces. Everyone did. I was speechless as I held my beloved granddaughter, my Charlie Horse. She had been the most beloved thing in my life. She had been the memory that kept me sane despite Pol’s torture. “I’m sorry, Seamus.” Deaky rubbed my back and stood. I carried her back to the Fairy Court in my arms. Freddie walked beside me. We were a silent procession through the courtyard, and into the main hall. It was completely empty. So typical of fairies. They run and hide the second a party goes south. Freddie put her in his room, the cats keeping a careful vigil over her. I needed time before I said goodbye. I let Deaky go first.  
As we waited outside the room, I saw Brian consoling Roger.  
“It’s all my fault...I should’ve protected her…” He was tearing out his hair in fitful agony as Brian tried to calm him down.  
“It’s not your fault, Rog. We did everything we could to save her,” Brian whispered. Deaky came out, stone-faced. He sat on the step as Brian went in with Roger. Freddie wouldn’t make eye contact with me. I so dearly wanted to hold him again.  
I went into the room. My sweet darling, my baby girl. She was gray and cold, and scared looking. I had tried to protect her with everything I had. I even gave her the compass to keep her safe. It wasn’t enough. I didn’t do enough. I finally allowed myself to weep as I held her hand. My sobs rocked my body, only ceasing when a gentle hand brushed my face. Freddie.  
“Darling I’m so sorry...I should have sent her home…”His face was dark with sorrow. He had loved her like a child, after she softened his heart. She reminded him of me, he would later tell me. “I was consumed by anger...and now I’ve hurt you both in ways I can never amend.”  
“Freddie…” I took his hand in mine, squeezing it lightly. We didn’t have to say anything else. We had known each other long enough to know what it meant. We could say I love you without uttering a sound. I kissed him softly and held him close, closer than I ever held anyone. I needed him, and he needed me. It was so obvious but we hadn’t known until we were apart...until something we loved was taken from us.  
“Seamus...Jim look.” My neck hair prickled when he called me Jim. He never called me Jim. I turned and saw my Charlie, my beloved Charlie, propped up on her elbows. The cursed growth had disappeared. Color had returned to her body. She was there.  
“Pops?”  
“Holy shit,” I whispered as I gathered her up into a bear hug. “Holy shit!” I was yelling now. “Charlie oh my god you’re alright! You’re alright you’re alright.” I kept crying the words over and over. The others came to the door, barely comprehending the sight they saw.  
“Hey...Pops you’re crushing me.”  
“Oh I don’t care I’m never letting go of you ever again, Charlie Horse! Never again!” I swung her around, despite her being older and taller than I was used to. I didn’t care. She was still my baby girl.


	12. My Fairy King

It had been like sleeping, actually. It was really trippy when I woke up and saw my grandpa and the Fairy King hugging each other. Eventually, people stopped hugging me. I mean, I was ecstatic to see they were okay and I wasn’t dead, but hugging can get real old real quick.  
Freddie threw a party, as Freddie tended to do. Despite Jim trying to get me to rest, I wanted to have fun, knowing everyone was safe and I didn’t have to worry about an evil smoke monster holding my family captive.  
I tried really hard to get myself looking beautiful. The Fairy Court ladies came and upon seeing me eager for a change, pulled out all the stops. My dress was a slate color, grayish-blue and make of soft silk. They gave me exquisite eyebrows, ones that could challenge even the Fairy King. I felt almost giddy as I fixed the shining tiara on my head. God I was such a loser, but I loved every second of pretending to be a princess.  
Jim wanted to escort me. He never had the chance before. When I met him at the stairwell he was dressed to the nines. I never even knew he could wear a tuxedo. I always imagined him in waders or dirty jeans puttering around in the garden. He seemed as shocked as I was.  
“Charlie...you look wonderful.” I took his arm.  
“Really?”  
“Of course.”  
“You look amazing, Pops.”  
“Really? I haven’t worn a tux in ages...God knows Freddie always begged me to be fancy with him.” We started walking to make our entrance at the main hall.  
“How did you two meet?”  
“Apparently much like you. I took shelter from the rain and found myself in the Otherworld surrounded by cats and a madman with a penchant for dramatic tendencies.”  
“How did you fall in love?”  
“I don’t really know. When did you start liking him?”  
“I’m not sure.”  
“I guess it runs in the family.” We stopped before the grand doors leading to the party. I suddenly felt very nervous. But, with a comforting squeeze from my grandfather, we entered. All eyes were immediately on us. I almost laughed out loud seeing how gobsmacked the other Princes were at seeing me. And Freddie? Freddie only had eyes for my grandpa, which made me exceedingly happy.  
“Is the Fairy King also my grandpa?”  
“No he is not.”  
“I think he is.”  
“He is not your grandfather, Charlie.”  
“Maybe not blood related but definitely step-grandad.”  
“The Fairy King is not your grandfather.” Freddie somehow caught wind of this and took my other arm eagerly.  
“I think I am her grandfather, Jim.”  
“No you’re not.”  
“Man I can’t believe the Fairy King is my grandfather.” We both laughed at Jim’s annoyed groans before I split from them to be with the other Princes.  
Roger clung to me all evening, often being elbowed or kicked by Brian or Deaky to stop flirting. I didn’t mind. He refused to leave my side, only relenting when Brian or Deaky wanted to dance with me. I managed to slip away from them to get some air. There, I was met by the Fairy King.  
“Are you happy here, Charlie?” I didn’t answer. Of course I was happy...sort of. “You could stay you know. We could be a family.”  
“I’m sorry, Freddie. I have to go home.” I gave sad smile as I took his hand. “Please take care of Pops.”  
“I think he’ll take better care of me, darling.” He gave a sly, toothy grin. “At least don’t leave until after the party.”  
“I wouldn’t dream of missing it.” And we walked together to the grand ball. Me and My Fairy King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks you guys!


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